Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Pandar. Well, I had rather than twice the worth of her she
had ne'er come here.

Bawd. Fie, fie upon her! she's able to freeze the god
Priapus, and undo a whole generation. We must
1950either get her ravished, or be rid of her. When she
should do for clients her fitment, and do me the
kindness of our profession, she has me her quirks,
her reasons, her master reasons, her prayers, her
knees; that she would make a puritan of the devil,
1955if he should cheapen a kiss of her.

Boult. 'Faith, I must ravish her, or she'll disfurnish us
of all our cavaliers, and make our swearers priests.

Lysimachus. Why, your herb-woman; she that sets seeds and roots
of shame and iniquity. O, you have heard something
2025of my power, and so stand aloof for more serious
wooing. But I protest to thee, pretty one, my
authority shall not see thee, or else look friendly
upon thee. Come, bring me to some private place:
come, come.
2030

Marina. If you were born to honour, show it now;
If put upon you, make the judgment good
That thought you worthy of it.

Marina. For me,
2035That am a maid, though most ungentle fortune
Have placed me in this sty, where, since I came,
Diseases have been sold dearer than physic,
O, that the gods
Would set me free from this unhallow'd place,
2040Though they did change me to the meanest bird
That flies i' the purer air!

Lysimachus. I did not think
Thou couldst have spoke so well; ne'er dream'd thou couldst.
Had I brought hither a corrupted mind,
2045Thy speech had alter'd it. Hold, here's gold for thee:
Persever in that clear way thou goest,
And the gods strengthen thee!

Lysimachus. For me, be you thoughten
2050That I came with no ill intent; for to me
The very doors and windows savour vilely.
Fare thee well. Thou art a piece of virtue, and
I doubt not but thy training hath been noble.
Hold, here's more gold for thee.
2055A curse upon him, die he like a thief,
That robs thee of thy goodness! If thou dost
Hear from me, it shall be for thy good.

Boult. How's this? We must take another course with you.
2065If your peevish chastity, which is not worth a
breakfast in the cheapest country under the cope,
shall undo a whole household, let me be gelded like
a spaniel. Come your ways.

Bawd. She conjures: away with her! Would she had never
2090come within my doors! Marry, hang you! She's born
to undo us. Will you not go the way of women-kind?
Marry, come up, my dish of chastity with rosemary and bays!

Marina. Neither of these are so bad as thou art,
Since they do better thee in their command.
Thou hold'st a place, for which the pained'st fiend
Of hell would not in reputation change:
2105Thou art the damned doorkeeper to every
Coistrel that comes inquiring for his Tib;
To the choleric fisting of every rogue
Thy ear is liable; thy food is such
As hath been belch'd on by infected lungs.
2110

Boult. What would you have me do? go to the wars, would
you? where a man may serve seven years for the loss
of a leg, and have not money enough in the end to
buy him a wooden one?

Marina. Do any thing but this thou doest. Empty
2115OLD receptacles, or common shores, of filth;
Serve by indenture to the common hangman:
Any of these ways are yet better than this;
For what thou professest, a baboon, could he speak,
Would own a name too dear. O, that the gods
2120Would safely deliver me from this place!
Here, here's gold for thee.
If that thy master would gain by thee,
Proclaim that I can sing, weave, sew, and dance,
With other virtues, which I'll keep from boast:
2125And I will undertake all these to teach.
I doubt not but this populous city will
Yield many scholars.

Boult. 'Faith, my acquaintance lies little amongst them.
But since my master and mistress have bought you,
there's no going but by their consent: therefore I
will make them acquainted with your purpose, and I
doubt not but I shall find them tractable enough.
2140Come, I'll do for thee what I can; come your ways.